Dishwasher

ABSTRACT

A dishwashing machine including a housing and a pair of retractable pull-out dishwashing system containers mounted one above the other in the housing. The housing having an internal height and the pair of retractable pull-out dishwashing system containers having a total combined height less than the internal height of the housing. The lower container can be height adjustably mounted and the upper and lower containers can have different individual heights.

CROSS-REFERENCE OF RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation, under 35 U.S.C. §120, of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/606,008, filed Jun. 25, 2003, which itself was a continuation, under 35 U.S.C. §120, of International Application No. PCT/EP01/14193, filed Dec. 4, 2001, which designated the United States; this application also claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. §119, of German patent application No. 100 65 637.4, filed Dec. 29, 2000; the prior applications are herewith incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a dishwashing machine with two retractable pull-out containers, each containing a dishwashing system.

WO 93/12706 A1 discloses a dishwashing machine, in which two identically sized pull-out containers are provided stacked one above the other in the housing of the dishwashing machine and retractable from the housing. For matching the customary appearance of a row of kitchen appliances the lower pull-out container is provided with a base panel, which is also moved when the pull-out container is withdrawn. As a result, the base panel of the pull-out container is separate relative to the base panel of the kitchen furniture or domestic appliances installed adjacent to the dishwashing machine, such as for example refrigerators or stoves, giving an optical illusion. Arranging the base panel set back relative to its front usual in a row of kitchen appliances is not at all possible in the case of the known dishwashing machine.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to design a dishwashing machine of the type initially described, such that when the dishwashing machine is placed in a row of kitchen appliances the base panel can be designed to be continuous and also can be set back relative to the front of a row of kitchen appliances.

The solution to this task according to the present invention is that, in their overall height, both pull-out containers are smaller than the internal height available in the housing of the dishwashing machine. With both pull-out containers designed with an overall height which is smaller than the internal height available in the housing, there is the option of arranging the pull-out containers such that the lower pull-out container comes to rest high relative to the installation surface of the dishwashing machine. This creates corresponding space for a continuous base panel. With the invention a dishwashing machine of the type initially described is designed such that when the dishwashing machine is placed in a row of kitchen appliances the base panel can both be designed as continuous as well as set back relative to the front of a row of kitchen appliances.

By the lower pull-out container being arranged in the housing of the dishwashing machine above the height of a pedestal recess provided on the housing of the dishwashing machine, the base panel can be designed uniformly continuous and, as is customary in kitchen furniture or domestic appliances installed adjacent to the dishwashing machine, can be installed set back.

If both pull-out containers are of differing heights, then one pull-out container can be of such a height that larger crockery and/or pots can be stacked into it. Smaller crockery, such as side plates and saucers and cutlery, can be stacked in the other lower pull-out container.

The upper pull-out container is advantageously higher than the lower pull-out container, whereby more crockery can be arranged in a space which is easier to reach.

Installing the pull-out containers high relative to the installation surface of the dishwashing machine is easily enabled by the housing of the dishwashing machine being provided with installation feet.

To enable a set-back arrangement of the base panel the front installation feet are set back at least by the depth of the pedestal recess.

With respect to the height of the base panel any tolerances in size can easily be compensated by the installation feet being height-adjustable. The height adjustability of the installation feet is achieved simply by the installation feet being provided with a screw thread and being able to be screwed into threaded holes provided on the housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The sole FIGURE of the drawings is a side elevational view of the dishwashing machine of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention will now be explained in greater detail with reference to the embodiment illustrated in the diagram.

Reference numeral 1 designates a dishwashing machine according to the present invention, which is built in under a kitchen sill plate 2. The dishwashing machine 1 has two pull-out containers 3 and 4 arranged retractable in their housing. Both pull-out containers 3 and 4 are designed at different heights, whereby in the illustrated embodiment the upper pull-out container 3 is higher than the lower pull-out container 4. In terms of height the lower pull-out container 4 is arranged above a pedestal recess 5 provided on the housing. This gives the option of providing a base panel 6 in the vicinity of the pedestal recess. Such a base panel 6 can be designed uniformly continuous with the base panel of kitchen furniture or domestic appliances installed adjacent to the dishwashing machine 1, such as stoves, refrigerators or dishwashing machines.

The housing of the dishwashing machine 1 is effectively provided with installation feet 7. If these installation feet 7 are designed to be height-adjustable, then compensation in height can easily be achieved whenever this might be required for example on account of dimensional tolerances of the base panel 6. Height adjustability is enabled in a structurally simple manner by the installation feet 7 being provided with a screw thread and being screwed into threaded holes provided on the housing.

The height adjustability of the installation feet 7 also facilitates installing the dishwashing machine 1 in under a sill plate 2. Such sill plates 2 can be installed at various heights relative to the installation surface of the dishwashing machine 1. Any variations in height in sill plates 2 can easily be compensated by adjusting the installation feet 7.

The housing of the dishwashing machine 1 has a pair of opposed sides 8, 9 and a base 10. Each of the retractable pull-out containers 3, 4 has a front piece 11, 12, respectively. Each of the opposed sides 8, 9 of the housing includes a forward portion 13, 14, respectively, extending between an edge of the respective opposed side that is adjacent one of the pull-out containers 3, 4 and a back portion 15, 16, respectively, of the respective opposed side.

With the invention a dishwashing machine 1 is designed such that when the dishwashing machine is installed in a row of kitchen appliances the base panel 6 can be designed both continuous and set back relative to the front of a row of kitchen appliances. 

1-7. (canceled)
 8. A dishwashing machine, comprising: a dishwashing machine housing having a base and sides extending from the base; a pair of retractable pull-out upper and lower containers mounted one above the other in said housing, each of the containers having a dishwashing system, the upper container having an upper front piece and the lower container having a lower front piece being vertically aligned with and coplanar with the upper front piece when both are in the closed position; a pedestal recess formed below the lower container, said recess having a predetermined depth; a plurality of feet extending between the dishwashing machine and a surface on which the dishwashing machine is to be supported, to maintain the base and sides of the housing at a height above the surface on which the dishwashing machine is to be supported, said plurality of feet including a pair of front feet and a pair of rear feet; and a base panel positioned below the lower container, in side-by side relation to the pair of front feet, said base panel being set back by the depth of the pedestal recess, said base panel extending between the base of the housing and the surface on which the dishwashing machine is to be supported, said base panel being substantially parallel to and rearwardly offset relative to the upper and lower front pieces, said base panel having a height substantially equal to a distance the pair of front feet extends from the base of the housing to the surface on which the dishwashing machine is supported, said base panel covering the pair of front feet from view, wherein the pedestal recess has a maximum height that is greater than the base panel.
 9. The dishwashing machine according to claim 8, wherein the lower front piece of the lower container extends an overhang distance downward beyond an edge of the lower container.
 10. The dishwashing machine according to claim 9, wherein the overhang distance is substantially equal to a height difference between the maximum height of the pedestal recess and the height of the base panel.
 11. The dishwashing machine according to claim 8, wherein the base panel is a continuous base panel.
 12. The dishwashing machine according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of feet are height-adjustable.
 13. A dishwashing machine, comprising: a dishwashing machine housing having a base and sides extending from the base; a pair of retractable pull-out upper and lower containers mounted one above the other in said housing; a pedestal recess formed below the lower container, said recess having a predetermined depth; and a plurality of feet extending between the dishwashing machine and a surface on which the dishwashing machine is to be supported, to maintain the base and sides of the housing at a height above the surface on which the dishwashing machine is to be supported, said plurality of feet including a pair of front feet and a pair of rear feet, said front feet being set back by a distance greater than the depth of the pedestal recess.
 14. The dishwashing machine according to claim 13, wherein said pedestal recess is dimensioned to have a maximum height that is greater than a distance between the base of the housing and the surface on which the dishwashing machine is to be supported.
 15. The dishwashing machine according to claim 13, further comprising a base panel positioned below the lower container, in side-by side relation to the pair of front feet, said base panel being set back by the depth of the pedestal recess, said base panel extending between the base of the housing and the surface on which the dishwashing machine is to be supported, said base panel being substantially parallel to and rearwardly offset relative to front portions of the upper and lower containers, said base panel having a height substantially equal to a distance the pair of front feet extends from the base of the housing to the surface on which the dishwashing machine is supported, said base panel covering the pair of front feet from view.
 16. The dishwashing machine according to claim 15, wherein the pedestal recess has a maximum height that is greater than the base panel.
 17. The dishwashing machine according to claim 15, wherein the base panel is a continuous base panel.
 18. The dishwashing machine according to claim 13, wherein a lower front piece of the lower container extends an overhang distance downward beyond an edge of the lower container.
 19. The dishwashing machine according to claim 18, wherein the overhang distance is substantially equal to a height difference between the maximum height of the pedestal recess and the height of the base panel.
 20. The dishwashing machine according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of feet are height-adjustable.
 21. A dishwashing machine, comprising: a dishwashing machine housing having a base and sides extending from the base; a pair of retractable pull-out upper and lower containers mounted one above the other in said housing; a pedestal recess formed below the lower container, said recess having a predetermined depth; and a plurality of feet extending between the dishwashing machine and a surface on which the dishwashing machine is to be supported, to maintain the base and sides of the housing at a height above the surface on which the dishwashing machine is to be supported, said plurality of feet including a pair of front feet and a pair of rear feet, the pair of front feet being set back by a distance greater than the depth of the pedestal recess, wherein an overhanging portion of the lower container extends an overhang distance downward beyond an edge of the lower container, said overhang distance being substantially equal to an exposed vertical extent of the pedestal recess, said overhanging portion covering the exposed vertical extent of the pedestal recess as seen from the front of the dishwashing machine.
 22. The dishwashing machine according to claim 21, wherein the plurality of feet extend below the overhanging portion of the lower container.
 23. The dishwashing machine according to claim 22, wherein the end of the overhanging portion defines a front border of the pedestal recess and ends at a lowermost end of the base of the housing.
 24. The dishwashing machine according to claim 21, further comprising a base panel positioned below the lower container, in side-by side relation to the pair of front feet, said base panel covering the pair of front feet from view as seen from the front of the dishwashing machine.
 25. The dishwashing machine according to claim 24, wherein the base panel is positioned below the exposed vertical extent of the pedestal recess.
 26. The dishwashing machine according to claim 24, wherein the pedestal recess has a maximum height that is greater than the base panel.
 27. The dishwashing machine according to claim 26, wherein the overhang distance is substantially equal to a height difference between the maximum height of the pedestal recess and the height of the base panel.
 28. The dishwashing machine according to claim 21, wherein the base panel is a continuous base panel.
 29. The dishwashing machine according to claim 21, wherein the plurality of feet are height-adjustable.
 30. A dishwashing machine, comprising: a dishwashing machine housing having an internal height; a pair of retractable pull-out upper and lower containers mounted one above the other in said housing; each of said retractable pull-out containers containing a dishwashing system; and said upper and lower containers having a total height less than said internal housing height, wherein said housing has a pair of opposed sides and a base, each of said retractable pull-out upper and lower containers having a front piece and being mounted in said housing such that said retractable pull-out upper and lower containers are located between said opposed sides of said housing and said front pieces of said of retractable pull-out upper and lower containers form a front of the dishwashing machine and said lower container is above said base of said housing, and further comprising a plurality of feet extending between the dishwashing machine and a surface on which the dishwashing machine is to be supported, to maintain said base and sides of said housing at a height above the surface on which the dishwashing machine is to be supported.
 31. The dishwashing machine according to claim 30, including said upper and lower containers have different heights.
 32. The dishwashing machine according to claim 31, including said upper container has a height greater than the height of said lower container.
 33. The dishwashing machine according to claim 30, wherein said plurality of feet include a pair of front and a pair of rear installation feet attached thereto.
 34. The dishwashing machine according to claim 33, wherein each of said opposed sides of said housing includes a forward portion extending between an edge of the respective opposed side that is adjacent one of said upper and lower pull-out containers and a back portion of said opposed side, said forward and back portions of each of said opposed sides of said housing each having a bottom edge, and said bottom edge of said forward portion of each of said opposed sides of said housing being higher than said bottom edge of said back portion of each of said opposed sides of said housing, whereby a pedestal recess is formed under said forward portions of said opposed sides of said housing having a depth extending from the front of the dishwashing machine to said back portions of said opposed sides of said housing and having a height above the surface on which the dishwashing machine is to be supported that is greater than the height of said back portions of said opposed sides of said housing above the surface on which the dishwashing machine is to be supported and including said pair of front installation feet are set back on said housing from the front of the dishwashing machine at least as far as the depth of said pedestal recess.
 35. The dishwashing machine according to claim 33, including each of said pair of front and said pair of rear installation feet being height adjustable.
 36. The dishwashing machine according to claim 33, and further comprising a base panel set back by the depth of said pedestal recess and extending between said base of said housing and the surface on which the dishwashing machine is to be supported, said pair of front and said pair of rear installation feet being disposed below said base of said housing, said base panel having a height substantially that of the height of the pair of front and said pair of rear installation feet below said base of said housing, and said base panel being set back on said housing from the front of the dishwashing machine at a depth less than the depth at which said pair of front installation feet are set back on said housing, whereby said base panel covers said pair of front installation feet from view from the front of the dishwashing machine, and said bottom edge of said back portion of each of said opposed sides of said housing being at a height above the surface on which the dishwashing machine is to be supported such that said bottom edge of said back portion of each of said opposed sides of said housing does not contact and is not supported on the surface on which the dishwashing machine is to be supported.
 37. The dishwashing machine according to claim 36, wherein the base panel is a continuous base panel. 